Mechanical movement for coating apparatus



June 24, 1958 R. J. VERBA A 2,840,037

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT FOR COATING APPARATUS Filed April 2, 1954 e Sheets-Sheet 1 Q21 H BY A l T0RNEYS June 24, 1958 J, ERB 2,840,037

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT FOR COATING APPARATUS Filed April 2. 1954 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

RICHARD J. VERBA BY 1 w ATTORNEYQ R. J. VERBA 2,840,037

June 24, 1958 Filed April 2, 1954 ATTORNEYS June 24, 1958 R. J. VERBA MECHANICAL MOVEMENT FOR COATING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 2. 1954 INVENTOR.

RICHARD J. VERBA BY 2 W AT TORNEYS June 24, 1958 R. J. VERBA MECHANICAL MOVEMENT FOR COATING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 2, 1954 AITQRNEYS June 24, 1958 R. J. VERBA MECHANICAL MOVEMENT FOR COATING APPARATUS Filed April 2. 1954.

6 Sheets-Sheet 6 mQN NN 0mm 5N mnu w oE RICHARD JNERBA United States Patmt MOVEMENT FOR COATING MECHANICAL APPARATUS Richard J. Verha, Fairview Park, hi0,'assignor, by mesne assignments, toHoward V. Schweitzer Application April 2, 1954, Serial No. 420,702

4 Claims. (05118-315) V eliminate. the high labor costs and the health hazards in volved in manual spray coating.

The machines which haveheretofore been developed for thesepurposes share one common feature: great mechanicai complexity. The general schemeof such machinery is theprovision.of-linkages to move paint guns over the surfaces oftthe articles being coated in such a way as to'maintain the paint "guns substantially normal to and at a substantially constant distance fromthe surface. This is accomplished in a variety oi -ways, all. involving costly custom fabrication of curvedload-bearing beams, cable-powered drag-link drives, articulated conveyor track sections, complex cam linkages orotherextremely expensive mechanical elements.

The present invention providesa mechanism which is far more simple-and troublefreethan those-heretofore provided. This mechanism may beadapted to avariety of requirements of particular installations. The mechanism comprises a traversing assembly including anendless flexible drive means extending alonga beam on which -a carriage is mounted for reciprocating movement, the carriage being directly coupled to the endless drive means and the carriage also reciprocally mountingan additional member-for transverse movement relative *to the beam in the manner disclosed below. The versatility-and adaptability of this mechanism with be illustrated in a several illustrative embodiments of painting "or coating installa tions inwhich it may beemployed;

The objects andsadvantages of the mechanism will be -most clearlyunderstood from the following specification arid theaccompanying drawingsin which; I

Figure '1 illustrates a coating; installation which two jditferent embodimentsof the invention are employed.

IFigure'Z is arear'elevation on an enlarged scale of the upper left-portion of the mechanism illustrated infulllinein Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view similarv to FigureZ, but showing the parts in different positions. I I

Figure .4 illustrates a coating 'installation'employing :another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 5-is a planview of Figure 4, a'tcontrol-valve (155) shown in'Figure 4 being omitted from Figure for. purposes of clarity.

Figure-6 ;is a view takenon -line'66 of Figure 5.

Figure'7 isiaview; on an enlarged scale taken online 7-7 inFigure '5.

Figure 8 illustrates a coating installation,employing still another embodiment; of the-invention.

,5 2,840,037 Patented June 24, 1958 V 2 Side coating mechanism of Figures 1-3 The mechanism contemplated by the invention is illustrated in Figure l in connection With an'automobile' body "coating operation inwhich an overhead conveyor isemployed. A vertical beam 10 is provided at the side of the conveyorline at the coating station.- A horizontal beam 11 extends over the top'of passing car bodies andissupported on the beam 10. As will become clear below, each of these beams functions as the major structural support for its associated reciprocating coatingmechanism. Power is supplied through a power linkage comprising a motor 12, a flexible drive 13 and astandard speed reducer 14. The output siderofthespeed reducer 14 is drivingly engaged withthe sprockets 15, i6, 17 and 38 in a manner which is clearly illustrated in'Figure 1. The sprocket 15 comprises the power sprocket for the mechanism associated with the beamll. The sprockets .16, 17 and '18 comprise the powersprockets for the mechanism associated with the beam 10.

' A carriage 20 is mounted for reciprocation up and down thebeam 10. The carriage preferably comprises a plate .21 cut to the shape indicated and provided with laterally extending flanged rollers 22, eachof which is in. guided engagement either with flanges of the beam 10 or, preferably, withflat rails 01 tracks #23 formed on the' flanges of thebeam 10. An additional set of double flange rollers 24 is provided on the opposite side of the plate '21 from the rollers 22. The rollers 24 are in guiding engagement '-with a' reciprocating bar 25. "Pivoted'to the bar '25 is a following link 26, the pivotal movement of which is transmitted to a sister link '27 through a long link 28," as

clearly shown in Figure l. A follower on the end of the linkl'e' is in'engagementwith a cam bar29. A-f0llower on the end of the reciprocating bar 25 is in following engagement witlrthe cam bar 30. The cam bars 29 and 30 are supported to one side of'the beam 10 many suitable manner.

A bar gun 31 is mounted on a shaft32, which is operatively fixed with-link 27and rotatably mounted on the reciprocating bar 25. At a central portion of the'plate 21, a slot track 34 is provided extending'laterally" beyond both reaches of achain 35, which is engaged by the sprocket '13 and an additional-idler sprocket 38. QThe chain 35 is providedwith one link which'eimbodies a i drive bushing or lug '36, which is in driving engagement "with the sides of theslot track 34.

'It'will 'be' apparent that as the power sprocket 18 is actuated, engagement of the lug'36 with the plate 21 will cause the carriageZ-l) to reciprocate-between the sprockets ass-(mesa. During such reciprocating movementrof the carriage, the bar 25 will be caused to reciprocate toward and away frorn the article being coated, following engagement between the bar 25 and the cambar 30 being {maintained by a spring 37 extendingj'between thejplate 21 andfthe barj25. Thus, the in-and-out position of the paint gung31 is determined'by the, conformation of the cam bar 30 and is a function'of thevertical position of the carriagefitl. The angle of tilt of thegun is determined bythe included angle between the reciprocating bar 25-and the link 26. It will'be seen that this vis'determined by the conformation of both the cam'bars 29 and 3h. 7' This angle of tilt will also be a pre-determined' function of the lvertical position of the carriage 20. V

Top coatingmechanism of Figures 1-3 'The linkage associated with the beam 11 -issimilar in general principle to that "described above. A carriage 40 is provided comprising a' -plate 41- onwhich are mounted "double ifla nged Y rollers 42, which are in' jdriv- .ing engagement with the flanges. of the beam 11,' or,* preferably; iwith ,flatcbars 43 extending :along the I'flanges of 3 the beam 11. An additional set of double flanged rollers 44 is provided on the carriege 40 on the opposite side of the plate 41 from the rollers 42. The rollers 44 are in guiding arrangement with a reciprocating bar 45.

At its upper endthe reciprocating bar 45 is provided with a follower roller which is in following engagement with a cam bar 52. The reciprocating bar 45 has mounted thereon members 46 and 47 (see Figures 2 and 3) between which is mounted a hydraulic cylinder 48.. The actuating. arm 49. of the. hydraulic cylind'en-extends through the member 47.and is fixed to a crank 50. A

paint gun mounting shaft 51 the crank 50.

A lever 55 is pivotally carried by the plate 41 or by a suitable extension or ear 56. At the outer end of the lever 55 a cam follower is mounted for following engagement with a cam bar, 57. A link 58 connects the lever 55 to a lever 59 which is keyed to a shaft 60 rotatably mounted on the plate 41. Also keyed to the shaft 60 is a sprocket 61. An arm 62 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 60. At its opposite end, the arm 62 rotatably carries a shaft 63 on which a second arm 64 is rotatably mounted. The arm 64 extends to the gun mounting shaft 51 which is rotatably received by the arm 64. Keyed to the shaft 63 is a pair of sprockets, only one of which can be seen in the drawings. Keyed to the gun mounting shaft is a sprocket 67. A chain 68 is engaged with the sprocket 61 and one of the sprockets on the shaft 63. Another chain 69 is engaged with the other of the sprockets on the shaft 63 and the sprocket 67.

The pin-and-slot driving connection. for the carriage 40 is similar to that for the carriage 20. A chain 70 is engaged with the power sprocket and an idler sprocket 71, rotatably mounted on the beam'l l. of the chain 70 comprises a pin or lug 72 in driving en gagement with a slot on the plate 41 or, equivalently, with side plates or flanges forming a slot or channel. In Figures 2 and 3, the lug 72 is shown in driving engagement with two flanges 74, a slot 75 being provided merely to accommodate the cap bolt on the lug 72.

It will be understood that the up-anddown position of a paint gun 76 carried on the shaft 51 is controlled by the cam 52, while the tilt of the gun is controlled by is rotatably carried .by

the cam 57. Further, it will be seen that the motions determined by the shape of these cams will be identical, regardless of the position of the actuating rod 49 of the hydraulic cylinder 48. That is, the up-and-down and tilting motions of the paint gun 76 remain the same functions of thereciprocationof the carriage 40 regardless of the position of the actuating rod 49, a change in this position serving .merely to shift the datum of the up-anddown motion of the paint gun.

As shown in phantom in Figure 1, all the linkages above described may be duplicated on the opposite side if the conveyor line, thus enabling the entire top and both sides of passing bodiesto be simultaneously coated.

The paint gun and its associated linkage 62-69 are shownin raised position in Figure 2, the actuating rod 49 being fully withdrawn. In Figure .3, an intermediate position of the paint gun and its associated linkage 6269 is shown in solid line, and the fully extended position is indicated in phantom view. Extension and retraction of the cylinder 48 may be controlled by suitable manually operated hydraulic valves (not shown) or by'a cam-operated valve which is engaged for actuation by suitable protrusions associated with'each passing body to be painted. For example, a valve 77 may be provided having a cam-control element 78 designed to be engaged by the passing hangers 79 associated with the conveyor system. The foremost of each pair of hangers associated with each passing body engages the element178, to advance this element a half-tum to reverse the valve 77 to lowered position and the trailing hanger associated .with each passing body engages the element 78 toad- Vance this element an additional half-turn tofl r everse One of the links 7 the valve 77 to its original 79 being maintained substantially equal to the length of body to be. coated. The valve 77 is placed along the outgoing side of the conveyor a suflicient distance from the painting station to allow roof surfaces to be painted before the valve 77 is contacted by leading hangers 79 to then cause the paint gun 76 to be lowered to paint the rear decksof the passing bodies. Painting of each particular body is completed upon contact of its trailing hanger with the on-and-ofl valve. The valve 77 is then contacted by the'associated trailing hanger to cause the paint gun to be raised into position for coating the roof surfaces of the next succeeding body.

Coating mechanism of Figures 4-7 Figures 47 show an embodiment of the invention in which the required overhead clearance above the reciprocating carriage is reduced by locating the camming bars on a level with guide and support beam along which vvided a power sprocket 102.

the carriage travels.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, a motor is coupled to a speed reducer 101 on the output side of which is pro- An endless chain 103 engages the power sprocket 102 and an idler sprocket 104. The support beam extends between side columns 111 and supports the several elements described above.

A carriage is provided similar to the carriages 20 and 40 and comprises a plate 121 and flanged rollers 122 and 123 on opposite sides of the plate. The rollers 122 are in guided engagement with tracks 124 formed on the flanges of the beam 110. The rollers 123 are in guiding engagement with a reciprocating bar to which is fixed a laterally extending shaft 131. A follower bearing 132 is rotatably mounted near the inboard end of the shaft 131. A sleeve 133 is also independently rotatably carried on the shaft 131. A cam follower crank 134 and a paint gun bracket 135 are each fixed to the sleeve 133. A paint gun is carried on the paint gun bracket 135. The follower bearing 132 is in following engagement with a cam bar or track 142 and the follower crank 134 is in following engagement with another cam bar or track 143. The tracks 142 and 143 may be suitably supported and braced by transverse underlying beams 147 and 148, respectively, together with supports 149.

The chain 103 is provided with a lug 145 similar to the lug 72 of the embodiment shown in Figures 1-3. As seen in Figures 5 and 7, the lug 145 is in driving engagement with sideplates or flanges 146, similar to the sideplates or flanges 74. It will be apparent that as the the power sprocket 102 is actuated, engagement of the lug 145 with the flanges 146 will cause the carriage 120 to reciprocate between the sprockets 102 and 104. During such reciprocating movement, the bar 130 and the associated shaft 131 will be caused to move toward and away from the top of the article being coated. Thus, the in-and-out (up-anddown) position of the paint gun 140 is determined by the conformation of the cam bar 142 and is a function of the transverse position of the carriage 120. The angle of tilt of the paint gun is determined by the difference in level of the axis of the sleeve 133 and the axis of the follower roller on the outer end of the crank 134. It will be seen that this is determined by the conformation of both the cam bars 142 and 143. This angle of tilt will also be a pre-determined function of the transverse position of the carriage 20.

In the painting or coating installation shown in Figures 4-7, the bodies to be painted, for example automobile bodies, are carried past the painting station on a deck conveyor rather than an overhead conveyor, making it possible to provide a single reciprocating carriage to cover the entire width of the roof of each passing body.

between" apower" sprocket '254 an For adjustment and 'changeover pui po'seg the height of th beam 110 above the -'de ck may be made adjustable by the provision of adju'stment bolts 1S01'carried on'the beams 111 andboltand slotconnections 151 between the beamslll and the beam 110.

When his desired that'thepaint'gun be shut off at the end of each endof the'path of'thecarriagein order to minimize I overspray, an appropriate control device may be provided. In the i'nstallaiton: showniin Figures 4-7, a valve 155 is mountedonthe 'carriage"-120. The contral ar m -158 of this' valve-is shifted 'to off position by the 'cams 156'andi157 at oppositeends ofthepath of the carriage 120. x

, Coating mechanismof F igure; 8 Figure 8 illustrates a painting "installation for coating automobile hoods or similar. objects-and employing another embodiment of'the invention. Here an overhead conveyor is provided on which are rotatably. mounted-the hanger shafts 210ywhichsupport the hoods or similar objects 211 to be coated. 'iThe conveyoris provided-with a opposite sides of which are mounted flanged rollers- 222. and 223. The rollers 222 are'in guided engagement with I to be particularly-noted in view of the narrow'and special- 'ized uses'of'thestructurally and mechanically complex paint gun actuating linkagesheretofore provided. The

' illustration of the several embodiments of the invention should make it clear that many details of the invention may be varied without departing from' the essence of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not to be limited to such details but is to be-defined by the following 10' claims.

It is to be understoodthat the terms surface treating head and member as used in the'claims apply not only to air atomizing paint guns but also to any other suitable means for coating such as electrostatic spray heads and to other meansfor surface treatment such as the tracks 201. Therollers 223 are in-guidingengage ment with a reciprocating bar 225. Mounted at one end of the reciprocating bar 225 is adouble crank 230 which is-keyedto a shaft 231 on'which a spro cket 23 2' is fixed. At the other end of the reciprocating bar 225 apaint gun bracket233is keyed to a shaft 234' on ,which-asprocket 235 is fixed. A chain-236 extends between thesprockets 232 and 235 and is also guided by a guide roll-237. A paint gun 240 ismounted on the paint gun bracket 233.

The ends of-the double crank arm 230 are in guided engagement -with 'camsurfaces 242 and 243 formed in av cut-outon a plate 245. Thedouble crank arm 230 is urged into followingengagementj with cam surfaces 242 by'a suitablespring "('notshown).

The carriage 220' has'a slot track formed on the plate 221 and generally indicated' at 250. V The slot" track is drivingly engaged-by a "lug25 1"onia"chain 2 52 extending d an idler sprocket 255.

The power sprocket 254" is drivenbyamotor 2 56througl1 a speed reducer 257.

It will be apparent that as the carriage 220 is caused to reciprocate by the drive linkage 250-257, the bar 225 will be moved toward and away from the articles being coated While, at the same time, the gun mounting bracket is caused to tilt in a predetermined manner, both in-andout and tilting movement being controlled by the interaction of both cam surfaces 242 and 243 with the following ends of the double crank 230. Thus, both in-andout and tilting movement are predetermined functions of the position of the carriage 220 in its recprocating path.

It will be understood that suitable cam and valve means (not shown) may be provided to turn the paint gun off at the ends of travel of the carriage 220 and during times when no articles are at the painting station.

The various embodiments of the invention described above demonstrate the versatility and adaptability of the herein-disclosed mechanism to 'a variety of coating and paint installations. While installations for coating hoods and automobile bodies have been specifically illustrated, the invention is obviously applicable to the coating of other large curved surfaces. The invention has, in fact, been successfully employed in the coating of a variety of large curved sheet metal surfaces. This broad applicability of the disclosed paint-gun actuating linkage is sand blasting heads, steam cleaning heads, polishing heads and scrubbing heads.

What is claimed is:

1. A device in which'a surfacetreating head is tobe moved across'irregularly curved surfaces of passing objects and is to be maintained substantially normal to and at a substantially uniform distance from such surfaces, comprising a'surface treating head, a carriage, a supporting beam extending substantially at right angles to but olf-setfrom the path of passing objects, means for reciprocating the carriage along the supporting beam, fixed-cam means extending along the direction of the supporting beam, control linkage means carried on said carriage and in following engagement with said fixed cam means, said control linkage means being operatively connected to the'surface treating head to control the pivoting 'and reciprocating movements of the surface treating head relative to the carriage, the pivoting and reciprocating movements of the-surface treating head each being a certain function of the. reciprocating movement of the carriage along the supporting beam, a multiple-element structure included in said control linkage means, said multiple-element structure being movably mounted on the carriagesothat the multiple-element structure can reciprocate to and from a datum position, moving substantially-at right angles to the supporting beam, the surfacev treating head being pivotally connected to the multiple-element structure, and expansion means forming part ofthe multiple-element structure for varying the effective 7 length. of the multiple-element structure to change the -datumz-position of Ithe surface treating head without changing; the datum position of the multipleeelement struc ture and without causing either of said certain functions to-ceaseto obtain. i

2.: Aamechanic'al movement for. translating a member along a first direction while simultaneously moving said member in and out along a second direction substantially normal to said first direction and tilting said member back and forth, said in-and-out and back-and-forth motions being predetermined functions of motion of said member along said first direction and said predetermined functions remaining the same regardless of a shift in the datum of said in and out motion, comprising a beam extending along said first direction, a carriage mounted for reciprocation along said beam and in guided engagement therewith, cooperating means on said carriage and said beam for effecting said guided engagement, drive means extending along said beam and drivingly engaging said carriage, power means to actuate said drive means, fixed cam surfaces extending alongside said beam, at least two followers engaged with different ones of said cam surfaces, a first control linkage comprising a reciprocator mounted on said carriage for reciprocation across said carriage in and out along said second direction, said reciprocator comprising a first portion, a second portion and a second power means operatively connected between tive length of said reciprocator to two opposite limits, said initially recited member being pivotally mounted on 1 occurred.

said second portion of said reciprocator a second control linkage comprisinga tilt-angle controllinkage operatively connected to said initially recited member for-transinitting angular motion thereto,-said first andsecond control linkages being mechancially coupled to said cam followers;to be actuated thereby, said second tilt-angle control linkage comprising means for imposing therethrough on said initially recited member a back-and-forth tilting motion which is said predetermined function of motion of said member along said first direction and remains the selfsame function independently of which of said two opposite limits obtains, whereby'upon actuation of said first power-means said 'member' will be translated along said first direction and simultaneously will be moved in and out along said second" direction and motions being said predetermined functions oftranslation of said member along said first direction, and upon actuation of said second power means, said in -and-out and member along said first direction, comprising a beam' extending along said first direction, a carriage mounted for reciprocation along said beam and in guided engagement therewith, cooperating means on said carriage and said beam toetfect said guided engagement, drive means extending along said beam and drivingly engaging said carriage, power means to actuate said drive means, a reciprocator mounted on said carriage for reciprocation across said carriage in and out along said second direction, means on saidcarriage guidingly engaging said reciprocator to guide said ,reciprocator in said in-and-out motion across said carriage, cam surfaces extending along said beam, first follower means onsaid reciprocator and in following engagement with one of said cam surfaces, said initially recited member being pivotally mounted on said reciprocator, a tilt-angle control linkage operably connected to said member and having second follower means in following engagement with another of said, i

cant surfacesasaid tilt-angle control linkage comprising 1111681lf0- controlling the tilt-angle of said member reisponsive only. to the conformation of, said other of said cam surfaces, whereby upon actuation of said first power means said member will be translated along said firstdirection and ,simultaneouslyvwill be moved in and out tilted back and forth, said in-and-out and back-and-forth' .along said seconddirection and tilted back and forth,

said 'in-and-out and backand-forth motions being preo determined independent functions of translationof said member along saidofirst direction.

,4. A device in which a paint gun isto be moved across irregularly curved surfaces of passing objects and is to be maintained substantially normal to and ata substantially uniform distance from such surfaces, comprising a paint gun, a carriage, a supporting beam extending substantiali ly at right angles to but above the path of passing objects,

A means for' reciprocating the carriage along the supporting beam, fixed cam means extending along'the direction of the supporting beam, control linkage means carried on said carriage and in following engagement with said fixed cam means, said control linkage means being operativelyconnected to the paint gun to control the pivoting and reciprocating movements of the paint gun relative to the carriage,'the pivoting and reciprocating movements of the paint gun each beinga certain function of the reciprocating movement of the carriage along the supporting beam, a multiple-elementstructure included in said control linkagemeans, said multiple-element structure being movably mounted on the carriage so that the multiple-element structure can reciprocateto and from a datum position, moving substantially at right angles to' the supporting beam, the paint gun being pivotally connected to the multiple-element structure, and expansion means'forming part of the multiple-element structure for varying the effective length of the multiple-element structure to change the datum position of the paint gun without changing the datum position of the multipleelement structure and without causing either of said certain functionsto cease to obtain.

H References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,083,633 Brackett June 15, 1937 2,245,932 Miller June 17, 1941 2,286,571 Pollard June 16, 1942 2,293,881 Bailey Aug. 25, 1942 2,344,108 Roselund '..L Mar. 14, 1944 2,345,834 Schweitzer Apr. 4, 1944 2,500,660 Chappen Mar. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,840,037 June 24, 1958 Richard J. Verba It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as cor-- rected below,

In the grant, line 2, for "assignor, by mesne assignments,to Howard V. Schweitzer," read assignor to Schweitzer Incorporated, of Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio, line ll, for "Howard V. Schweitzer, his heirs" read Schweitzer Incorporated, its successors in the heading to the printed specification, lines 4 and 5, for "assignor, by mesne assignments, to Howard V. Schweitzer" read assignor to Schweitzer Incorporated, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Signed and sealed this 8th day of March 1960.

Edith KARL AXLINE ROBERT c. WATSON Attesting Officer Conmissioner of Patents 

